The castle itself occupies the northwestern corner of what was once a fortified bawn, a defensive courtyard typical of Irish tower houses and castles. Today, visitors can still see the castle alongside its surviving gatehouse, which provides a glimpse into how this fortification once controlled access to the inner courtyard.

The gatehouse remains one of the most intriguing features of the site, even though it’s now heavily cloaked in ivy. This atmospheric structure features a barrel vault that spans the entrance avenue leading to the castle; originally, this passage would have pierced through the northeastern wall of the bawn. The architectural detail of the barrel vaulting demonstrates the defensive considerations of the time, creating a controlled entrance that could be easily defended whilst maintaining the structural integrity needed to support the walls above.

While the rest of the bawn walls have vanished over the centuries, the survival of both the castle and gatehouse allows visitors to piece together how this fortification once functioned. The positioning of these structures reveals the strategic planning that went into medieval Irish defences, with the castle anchoring one corner of the bawn whilst the gatehouse controlled access from another side. Together, they paint a picture of a once formidable defensive complex that protected its inhabitants during Ireland’s turbulent medieval period.